Garden slides and play areas can be a source of fun and entertainment for kids any time the weather cooperates. If you are having trouble finding the best garden slides and play areas for your kids, this article will make your life easier. We researched everything that you need to know before making a purchase. We have also outlined and reviewed the top ten products in this category.

Top 10 Garden Slides and Play Areas for Kids

The Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym is an ideal play area for toddlers. If your child is between the ages of 18 months and four years old, you can consider this slide as a top choice. In addition to the bright red slide, the activity gym also has climbing holes to keep your kid entertained.

You will be happy to know that the activity gym is strong and durable, so it won’t collapse while your children play on it. It’s also resistant to weather conditions, which makes it perfect for the outdoors. The maximum weight capacity is 23kg.

The compact design allows you to put it nearly anywhere in your garden area. It’s easy for you to assemble and does not require any tools to set up. You simply put the pieces in their corresponding slots, and you’re good to go.

Make sure you assemble the play area in the location where you want to permanently keep it. Once the play area is built, you can’t take it apart. So if you want to build it inside and then bring it to your garden, make sure it can fit through your doors.

Cons

The Crazy Wavy Slide comes with everything you need included in the package. It’s bright and colourful design will look great in your garden. It has three orange steps for your child to climb to reach the top of the slide. The steps are safe and secure with a handrail on the side for extra stability and security as they climb.

Furthermore, the steps on the ladder are flat. Your kids won’t have a problem balancing compared to other slides that have angled ladder steps. The handrail extends well past the top of the slide too, which prevents your child from slipping, falling, or losing their balance once they reach the top platform.

Children between the ages of three and ten years old can use this garden slide. There are also metal anchor pegs as a base, which is a safety feature that creates stronger stability and prevents the slide from tipping over.

It’s easy for you to put together, but once the slide is built, it does not fold up. If you want to move it somewhere for storage during the winter months, it’s not easy to transport and will take up lots of room. You’re better off just keeping it in your garden area at all times.

Cons

The Wooden Playhouse has a raised tower design. You can keep the classic wood look once you build the playhouse, or you can paint the tower with children so they can customise it with their favourite colour schemes. The roof is made from solid sheet material to withstand the outdoor elements and keep rain from entering through the top of the house.

If you have a large or growing family, this might be something that you should consider for your garden. All of your children can play for hours in their playhouse. It has four windows, so they look outside and communicate with you while you’re standing in the yard.

The inside of the playhouse is large enough for your children to customise as well. There is plenty of room for toys, chairs, or other accessories to make their playhouse feel like their own home.

They can enter the playhouse from the climbing ladder, which leads to a platform outside the front door of the tower. When they want to exit the playhouse, they can choose to take the same ladder down or use the slide as a fun alternative method.

All of the wood is treated so it can withstand the outdoor elements and last for a long time. The assembly is tricky. You’ll need a drill since there are no pre-cut holes. It also requires a saw and knife to properly put together. It’s easy for two people to build rather than just one.

Cons

If you want your kids to have a variety of options with their slide and play area, you might want to consider this one as a top option. In addition to a standard slide, it also comes with a glider and swing included with the frame.

The glider can support two children while another kid swings and a fourth uses the slide, which makes it ideal for families with lots of kids. If you are a grandparent, you might want to consider this frame for your garden so your grandchildren can play while they visit your home.

It has a steel frame that is powder coated, so it’s strong and durable. You can easily assemble the frame with the included high-tensile Allen key fittings. Your new garden play area also comes with ground pegs to give extra support and stability as a safety precaution.

The garden slide is not the easiest one to assemble since it has so many other features like the swing and glider, but once you have it erected your children will be happy that they have so many options on one set.

Cons

The slide from Garden Games is a great addition to your existing tree house, play area, or climbing frame. It’s easy to install and only needs two screws to safely secure it in place. If you built your playhouse for your children, you may want to consider this slide as the final piece to your project.

It also has a fun feature that you won’t find with most standard slides. You can attach your garden hose to the slide with the hose connector and turn it into a water slide. Your children can play for hours on hot summer days with the converted water slide.

If you have an old play area in your garden with a slide that needs to get replaced, you can easily swap this one out for the old one instead of buying a completely new structure as well.

The plastic is made from heavy-duty materials that can support children between the ages of 36 months to 18 years old. It’s safe, secure, and exceeds all of the current toy safety regulations in the UK.

Cons

The Plum Giant Baboon Wooden Garden Swing comes with a slide, two swings, a glider with two seats, and a climbing rope. It’s made from FSC certified and pressure treated premium timber materials. It’s heavy duty and provides has extra strength so multiple children can play at the same time.

The wide range of features and options allows for children between the ages of 3 and 12 to all enjoy this swing set. Although the instructions are easy to follow for setting up the frame and set, it takes at least three hours with two adults to construct the entire product out of the package.

All of the hardware needed comes included with your purchase. You’ll also get anchors to help give the frame added support to the ground of your garden. It’s a great slide and play area for outdoor use and is built with materials that can withstand the outside elements. There are metal swing attachments in the pole, so you don’t have to do any drilling to assemble it.

Cons

If you have a toddler, the Little Tikes First Slide is a great option to consider if you want to teach your child the basics of a playground slide. The slide is great for your home garden area so you can spend time outdoors playing with your son or daughter.

It’s easy to assemble the slide from Little Tikes. All you need to do is snap the handrails into place, and the slide is ready to go. Your kid will enjoy the bright blue and green colours of their new garden slide. Although it’s made to withstand the outdoor elements, you can also use this slide indoors as well.

The construction of the slide is great for stability and suitable for young children. It won’t tip or fall while your child climbs the ladder to reach the top slide platform. It’s a great way for your kid to learn fitness, coordination, and balance.

Cons

The Plum play centre and climbing pyramid is made from premium FSC certified timber material. There are three different options for your kids to reach the top platform of their play area. They can use the cargo net on the back side of the play centre to reach the highest platform. On the opposite side of the cargo net, there are hand and foot grips that they can climb against an angled wall.

Your kids can also climb the metal rung ladder to reach the lower platform and access the slide. There is also a camouflage fabric covering both sides of the play area, so your kids can go underneath the platforms and have a secret fort. The fabric has roll down windows for easy access to the play den.

If you buy the Plum Climbing Pyramid, you’ll get a warranty from the manufacturer that protects against rotting wood and damage from insects. It’s a great option if you have multiple children between the ages of 36 months and 12 years old.

The assembly instructions are easy to follow, but it will take some time to construct. It should take two adults approximately five hours to build the play centre. Once it’s built, the maximum total weight capacity is 50kg.

Cons

The outdoor play area has a slide, a glider with two seats, and two swings. If you have a large family with young kids or have grandchildren that come over to visit, you may want to consider getting this garden slide and play area.

With so many options and space, up to five kids can play on this set at the same time. The seats on the swings and glider are comfortable, so your kids won’t feel pain if they are playing for long periods of time. There are also moulded grips on the seats as a safety feature to prevent children from falling off while they play.

It’s recommended for children between the ages of three and ten years old. Once you assemble this frame, it cannot be folded for storage.

Cons

The Hide and Slide Climber from Little Tikes is a great option to consider if you have a toddler in your home. It’s bright and colourful design contains green, yellow, red, and blue to attract and draw the attention of your young children.

It has high walls on the side to help prevent your young kid from slipping and falling once they reach the top platform. From the top, they can slide down the wavy slide or climb back down the steps.

Underneath the slide and top platform, there is a secret play area that’s perfect for kids when they play hide and seek. The plastic material is strong, durable, and suitable for your garden area as well as indoor use.

It meets all the criteria that we outlined earlier for what you should look for when purchasing a play area. The Plum Play Centre has a slide, metal rung ladder, cargo net, and climbing wall. It also has a secret den that’s covered by camouflage material on both sides of the structure.

The Plum Climbing Pyramid Wooden Play Centre is a safe outdoor play area that can keep your children entertained for hours on end. It’s a top option that you might want to consider before you finalise your purchase decision.

How to Choose the Best Garden Slides and Play Areas for Kids

The first consideration for choosing a garden slide and play area is the age of your children. If you have toddlers that are about 36 months old, you may want to consider a basic slide that teaches them balance and coordination.

For older children between the ages of 6 and 12 years old, you’ll probably want to get a slide that’s longer, or it won’t be as fun for them to play on. Try to find slides that are attached to play areas with lots of other features to keep them entertained.

What are the Advantages and Benefits of a Garden Slide and Play Area for Children?

If you get a garden slide and play area for your children, you can supervise them while they enjoy themselves at your own home. It’s not always easy or time efficient to take your kids to the park for footballor cricket, so you can bring the fun to your garden with one of these play areas.

It’s also a great way to get them outside and staying active. According to Scholastic, these play areas improve a child’s flexibility, teaches them coordination, develops leg strength, and improves their balance.

Physical activity is important for the development of toddlers and young children. You can promote this activity by getting a garden slide and play area for your home.

Things to Look for When Purchasing a Garden Slide and Play Area

Safety is one of the most, if not the most important aspects to look for when purchasing a garden slide and play area for your kids. You want to make sure that the structure is safe and secure. Roughly 137 children each day get sent to the emergency room from an injury related to playground equipment.

To avoid injuries, look for features such as high walls to prevent your kids from falling when they reach a high platform. You’ll also want to find play areas with moulded plastic grips, level steps, and handrails, to minimise slips and falls.

Prerequisites to Using a Garden Slide and Play Area

Before your kids can use their garden slide and play area, you’ll need to assemble it. Look for products that are easy to build. Some of the smaller slides for toddlers only take minutes. You just need to snap plastic pieces into place.

Large and more complex play areas can take two adults several hours to build. Sometimes you’ll need to use drills, saws, and other tools that are not included with your purchase. For safety reasons, it’s important to make sure your kids don’t use the play area until it’s completely built.

While some of these pieces will already have pre-cut holes for drilling, it’s not uncommon for you to have to drill these yourself. If you’ve never done this or you’re unsure how to properly build a wooden play area with a drill, check out this informational video as a reference for advice.

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You can even paint your wooden play area with your children if you want to give it a more customised look instead of leaving the traditional wood colour finish.

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